Dominican trip gives Abby students experience abroad

Several Abbotsford students had the opportunity to make some lifetime memories as they embarked on a week-long trip to the Dominican Republic at the end of June. The trip, from June 23 to the 30, offered numerous opportunities for members of Abbotsford’s Spanish Club to learn about the culture of another country, experience riveting escapades and flex their Spanish skills as they spent a jam-packed week abroad.

The group of 15 students, parents and chaperones flew out of Minneapolis and landed in Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic, spending some time in the capital before traveling north to Puerto Plata, making some stops along the way as well.

Whether it was learning about the island’s past, picking up on the current culture, or engaging in activities like ziplining or white water rafting, there was always something to do.

“We were on the go constantly,” Brian Popp, former Abbotsford Spanish teacher and current Colby Middle School principal who chaperoned the excursion, said of the trip.

While some in the group had made international trips in the past, a number of things made this particular journey special. One difference was that the students’ parents were able to accompany them, which Popp said was a nice addition to the typical formula.

“Students and parents could experience and go through this together. That kind of added a different dynamic to it,” he said. “I’ve done other trips in the past, but didn’t have this kind of participation from parents, so that was kind of cool.”

There were also more chances to utilize their Spanish skills than during recent trips to Belize.

Chelsea Stuttgen, who works at the Abbotsford School District as a 4K teacher, also chaperoned the event.

“I liked this one a little better because they spoke more Spanish and the kids could use and speak their Spanish,” she said. “People translated for us, but it was nice to first hear it in Spanish and then see how much you understood.”

“The language is definitely different,” Emely Mireles, a recent graduate of Abbotsford who served as an officer for the school’s Spanish Club, said. “Dominicans speak a little faster and you have to think a little bit more, and their slang is different too.”

Opportunities for learning were everywhere on the group’s journey through the Caribbean nation. A guided tour through Santo Domingo highlighting the history of the city was followed up by a trip to a cave system that was the focal point for many ritual or cultural ceremonies for the local Taino people. A stop at an old Spanish fort built to defend against potential pirate attacks during the colonial era, the opportunity to participate in a local “mini-carnival,” or visiting a oncetroubled neighborhood revitalized by graffiti artists gave everyone a chance to learn more about the past and the present of the Dominican Republic.

Other activities included dance lessons and a pottery class that focused on the creation of “faceless dolls,” which are meant to represent the melting pot of cultures on the island. These experiences provided further opportunities for the group to steep themselves in the Dominican culture.

Jujutsu lessons, snorkeling, white water rafting and ziplining on a monkey sanctuary were also on the itinerary, breaking up the learning with some thrills. A group favorite seemed to be the surfing lessons along the island’s north coast.

“One of my favorite things was surfing, especially because we can’t really do it here.” Mireles said. “Honestly, I was really scared to do it, because it looks very intimidating, but it was really fun. I know that some of the others were really good at surfing; I would look over and they were just doing their thing.”

“I think one of my favorite things was when we took surfing lessons,” Stuttgen said. “For me, because even though I do speak Spanish – I took four years in high school and have a Spanish minor – sometimes I don’t feel confident in my Spanish. My surf instructor only spoke Spanish and he said ‘Where did you learn Spanish?’So I told him in school and asked him ‘Why, is it bad?’and he said ‘No, that it was very good,’ so that really helped me and my confidence.”

“Plus, I was actually able to surf, like I actually was able to do it,” she added with a laugh.

Food is also an important part of any trip and the group had plenty of chances to sample authentic local cuisine. One particular meal stuck out to Mireles and her friend.

“For lunch one day, we ended up eating at a local’s home actually,” she said. “They prepared a meal for us, chicken, beans and rice. But I think it was great that they opened their home up to us, especially since we had been eating at restaurants and stuff like that, so I think it was good to eat food that was actually made at their home. It was really good and they were really nice people.”

The exciting week, as all good things must, eventually came to an end, but the experiences and memories gained will last far beyond.

Popp noted that trips like these hold a lot of value for students who are able to take advantage of them.

“I think the main thing is to introduce them to international travel,” he said. “I think that it seems like a daunting thing to a lot of us, and I think once you get over doing it the first time, you gain the confidence of that first time. I know, from my own experience, I went on a trip like this when I was in school and it opened a lot of doors for me. I lived and worked internationally for a few years. What I hope the kids get out of it is obviously more comfort in traveling and doing things that maybe put them outside of their comfort zone.”

“And also, gaining that exposure to another culture and being able to draw on the similarities that we experience in our lives here compared to other people in the world,” he added.

“I think just to have that broader view of the world is really important,” Stuttgen said. “It’s a good learning experience for them to see a different side of things. Sometimes I feel like we have it pretty good where we live and it’s good to see how other people live.”

“It’s a great opportunity to familiarize ourselves with another culture, to see how the Hispanic culture is evolving,” Mireles noted. “I think it’s great to be open-minded. When we saw normal, everyday activities that locals would do, I think it’s great to compare it in a way to how our lives are here and how life is there. I think personally I’ve realized how grateful I am for the opportunities I have here.”

Having a chance for the students to further flex their Spanish muscles and apply them in real world situations was also an important part of the experience.

“It’s also cool to watch the students who have gone through Spanish classes and who get on the bus on our way there and saying, Oh, I’ll never be able to understand or talk to anybody,’and then throughout the trip they’ll say, ‘I just had a conversation with that guy over there’ or ‘We just ordered something’ or whatever,” Popp said. “Getting them to see that when you’re in another country and when you have to rely on your second language, it kind of comes to life and it becomes easier to use.”

It’s these things that brought Stuttgen and Mireles back for another trip and why they would recommend others to take the opportunity to do the same if possible.

“I definitely would,” Stuttgen said when asked if she would recommend others to take similar trips in the future. “It just opens your eyes to the world, but also you just get to see things and have those experiences, like when we went surfing or snorkeling or white water rafting. I don’t just go out and find places to do that here, but we got to do it down there.”

“Definitely, yeah,” Mireles added. “It really helped me see different perspectives, even though I live in a Hispanic household as well. It completely opened my perspective on things.”